Dispensing apparatus



0ct.5,1943. LDGQODHUE ETAL- 2,331 1 DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed oct'l 3,1941 INVENTORS L.D.GOODHUE w. N.$ULL|VAN ATTORNEYS "and others, but itis not limited to such use and Patented on5, 1943 .4

msPnNsmG APPARATUS Lyle D. Goodhue, Berwyn, Md., and William N.

Sullivan, Washin D. 0., assignors to Claude R. Wickard, as Secretary ofAgriculture of the United States 0 successors in office i America, andto his 1 Application October 3, 1941, Serial No. 413,474

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) Claims.

This application is made under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended bythe act of April 30, 1928,

and the invention herein described and claimed, if patented, may bemanufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States ofAmerica for governmental purposes without the payment to us of anyroyalty thereon.

This invention relates to dispensing apparatus, and an object thereof isthe provision in combination with a container adapted to hold a liquidunder pressure and a spray device for dispensing the liquid, of meansfor separating out a predetermined quantity of liquid in the containerand expelling with the spray device this predetermined quantity as aunit dose so that each dose dispensed will be exactly the same. Thispermits a high degree of controlled application. Just the right amountof spray is delivered upon each application and there is eliminated boththe waste ordinarily resultingfrom the discharge of more than is neededin a particular application and the inefficiency ordinarily resultingfrom the discharge of an insuflicient quantity which is, in efiect, alsoa wasteful application.

This invention is especially useful in the applicat ion of aerosols andfumigants, parasiticidal can also be used with such materials ascleaning fluids, paints (to apply a uniform coating over an area), andso forth.

In the accompanying drawing thereare illustrated three preferredembodiments of this invention, in which: I

Figure 1 is an elevational section of one embodiment; Figure 2 is anelevational section of the second embodiment; and Figure 3 is anelevational section of the third embodiment.

The embodiment illustrated in Figure 1 comprises a container ll adaptedto hold a liquid 12. Above the level of the liquid 9. well or pocket I3of a predetermined volume open at the top It is secured to the innerside of the container. A spray device l5 of any suitable type desiredhaving a nozzle 16, an operating valve l1, and an entry tube 18depending therefrom is removably secured on the mouth I9 of thecontainer by any suitable means, such as screw threads. The tube l8extends downward into the pocket 13 and terminates at the bottomthereof. When the liquid 12 i of a type containing a component volatileat ordinary room temperatures such as dichlorodifluoromethane, carbondioxide, methylbromide,.

the tube 18 and the nozzle [6 when the valve I1 is open, from whence itvolatilizes or, atomizes into the atmosphere. However, when the liquidis not sufficiently volatile, gas under pressure from an external sourcemay be introduced through a valved nipple 20. The pocket 13 1S filledwith liquid by inverting or simply tilting the container ll, thencrighting it again, leaving the pocket filled with a. predeterminedamount of liquid which is expelled or liberated by operating the valve11. When all of the liquid inthe pocket is discharged, the valve .11 isclosed, the container 11 again inverted or tilted, and the operation I'he embodiment illustrated in Figure 2 comprises a container or tank-2I, through the mouth 22 of which there is hermetically disposed the bodyof a bulb 23- closed with the exception of I an opening 24 at the top,through which the entry tube 25 of a spray device 26 extends, and anopening 21 below the neck of the container at a predetermined pointabove the bottom of the bulb defining a given volume of liquid. The bulbshould be proportioned so that the volume above the opening 21 isgreater than the volume below. The bottom of the tube 25 is open andextends to the bottom of the bulb. The spray device 26 as in theembodiment illustrated in Figure 1 is of any suitable type hawng anoperating valve 28 and a nozzle 29. The container may also be providedwith a valved nipple 30 to permit the introduction of an external sourceof gas under pressure. In this embodiment the liquid to be sprayed isplaced in the container through the mouth 22 after removing the bulb 23.The bulb is then replaced and the container inverted permitting theliquid to enter the bulb through the opening 21 and fill the portionbetween said opening 21 and the spray device. The container is thenreverted causing the liquid to fall into the lower portion of the bulbbelow the opening 21. Any excess liquid spills out through the opening21 into the container, so that a predetermined quantity of liquid isretained in the bulb ready to be expelled through the nozzle 29 of thespray device 26 by operating the valve 28. Gas pressure in the con-' ateagainst the liquid in the bulb 23 through the opening 26 and force itthrough the tube 25 when the valve 28 is opened.

The embodiment'illustrated in Figure 3 comprises a container 31surmounted by a bulb 32, the bottom 33 of which is open and connected tothe mouth 34 of the container through a valve 35. At the top of the bulb32 aspray device 36 prising is disposed, like that of the other twoembodiments illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, and having a nozzle 31, anoperating valve 38, and a dependent entry tube 39 which extends to thebottom of the bulb 32. This apparatus is operatable only with a liquidvolatile enough to create a pressure sufiicient to expel it from thebulb 32 through the nozzle 31, Liquid is introduced into the bulb byopening the valve 35 and inverting the container. The bulb will becomeonly partially filled with liquid due to the presence of trapped air.However, the bulb is so proportioned that this partial quantity will bethe predetermined amount required for each dose or application. Thevalve 35 is then closed and the container reverted. The predeterminedquantity of liquid in the bulb 32 is then ready to be discharged throughthe nozzle 31 when the valve 38 isopened, the gas resulting fromvolatilization of the liquid in the bulb furnishing the necessarypressure.

Having thus described our invention, we claim: 1. An apparatus of thecharacter described comprising a container to hold a liquified gas underpressure, a liquified gas receptacle of predetermined capacity securedto the inner wall of said container above the normal liquid level, a

tube between said receptacle and the exterior of .said container, and avalve in said tube, whereby when said valve is open, the pressure withinsaid container will force liquid in said, receptacle through said tube.V

2. An apparatus of the type mentioned coma container to hold a liquifiedgas under pressure, a receptacle within said container of predeterminedcapacity above the normal liquid level, said receptacle being secured tothe inner wall oi the container whereby it can be filled by manipulatingthelcontainer. a tube between said receptacle and the exterior of. saidcontainer, and

a valve in said tube whereby when said valve is open, the pressurewithin said container will force liquid in said receptacle through saidtube. 3. An apparatus of the character described comprising a containerto hold a liquified gas under pressure, a liquified gas receptacle ofpredetermined capacity secured to the inner wall of said container abovethe normal liquid level, and a valved tube from said receptacle to theexterior of said container.

4. An apparatus of the character described comprising a container tohold a liquid under pressure, said container having a mouth at the topthereof, a bulb hermetically disposed through said mouth, said bulbhaving an aperture through the side thereof below said mouth and at apredetermined point above the bottom thereof, the volume of the bulbabove said aperture being greater than the volume below, and meansassociated wtih said bulb for expelling liquid in the bulb below saidaperture.

5. An apparatus of the character described comprising a containeradapted to hold a liquified gas under pressure, a receptacle ofpredetermined capacity secured to the inner wall of said container, saidreceptacle being open at the top, whereby the container can bemanipulated to fill the receptacle with liquified gas in the containerby causing the liquified gas to flow along the wall of the containerabove the receptacle, a spray device attached to said container abovesaid receptacle, said spray device having a dip tube extending downwardto the bottom of said receptacle, and a valve in said tube whereby whensaid valve is open the pressure within the container will force liquidin the receptacle through said tube and spray device.

LYLE D. GOODHUE. WILLIAM N. SULLIVAN.

